Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2027
Lorne MacLean, K.C. is one of Canada's leading ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) family lawyers and has been recognized by Best Lawyers for his work in Family Law. Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Lorne is the founder of MacLean Law and has been practicing law since 1983.
For more than four decades, Lorne has focused on Canada's most complex and high-net-worth family law matters. He regularly acts in high-stakes cases involving international jurisdictional disputes, UHNW spousal and child support claims, complex property division, parenting and guardianship disputes, and marriage-like relationship claims. He has appeared twice before the Supreme Court of Canada, including in Young v. Young and Leskun v. Leskun.
Throughout his career, Lorne has established numerous legal precedents and achieved record-setting outcomes, including some of the highest support awards payable to both men and women, multi-million-dollar property awards, significant Mareva injunctions, and substantial special costs awards. Notable decisions include Devathasan v. Devathasan, 2019 BCSC 661; W.A.K. v. C.R.A.M., 2024 BCSC 2009; and Fleury v. Budd, 2025 BCSC 2035. In 2024, Lorne and Fraser MacLean played a key role in the landmark decision Zhang v. Chen, 2024 BCSC 285, which brought national attention to the issue of artificial intelligence "hallucinations" in courtroom submissions.
Under Lorne's leadership, MacLean Law has built one of Canada's largest Mandarin- and Cantonese-fluent family law teams, with a particular focus on representing UHNW clients within those communities.
Lorne and MacLean Law have received numerous accolades, including recognition among the Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Canada, Family Law Firm of the Year, and Canadian Boutique Law Firm of the Year.
In addition to his litigation achievements, Lorne is a Fellow of the invitation-only International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL), an organization that recognizes leading family law practitioners with extensive experience in complex international family law disputes, financial litigation, Hague Convention matters, and parenting-related cases.
Best Lawyers has recognized Lorne MacLean, K.C. since 2007. Best Lawyers' recognition is based on an extensive peer-review process involving lawyers practicing in the same geographic region and area of law. This distinction reflects the high regard in which Lorne is held by members of the legal profession.
